Stay at Home Moms

If you have 2 or more, how do you go out?

When first having DS, it was pretty easy for me to get out and run errands and such. I would always be here for DD's nap and DS would nap on the go. Now that he is 3 months, he won't sleep when we are out unless we are in the car. He wakes up and starts crying because he's tired. I can usually wear him and he's ok, but DD is a different story. I used to take snacks to entertain her, but now that's not working. She screams and cries so bad when we she is in the cart that I can't bare to stay in a store. I've tried letting her hold my hand, but of course she just takes off and starts taking things off the shelf. It's ok when I go to the grocery store because they have the little cars connected to the cart and she loves that. But when Im in Rite Aid, CVS, or the mall, she just screams. How do you manage with your two LO's? How do you entertain your toddler? And what do you do about naps? If Iam always at home for their naps, I'll never be able to leave the house because one of them is always napping. Help!

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Re: If you have 2 or more, how do you go out?

  • As far as naps, I have always just gone out in the mornings and been home in time for afternoon naps (after lunch). When DD was still taking a morning nap sometimes she would just take a little nap while I was still getting ready in the mornings, or just take brief naps in the car, etc. Her morning nap was always short....just a product of being the second child, I guess. As fas as errands...ugh! Those have never been easy. I try to avoid many errands until I can go by myself. But I have resorted to bringing along a portable dvd player if I had a long trip to the store that couldn't be avoided. The iphone is great too....I found some really simple games and those tend to keep DS occupied if needed.
  • I got my kids on the same nap schedule ASAP! This was the best thing I have ever done. When DS was that age I wore him everywhere and that helped a lot. DD went through the stage of screaming in carts and strollers, honestly I never gave into her, she had to be in a cart/stroller strapped in. She eventually figured out that she was going to be in them no matter what so it stopped.
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  • Ditto PP on the naps. When I had my 2nd and 3rd, they just napped on the go in the mornings but I am ALWAYS home for naps in the afternoon (or on my way back in a long carride).

    I do errands with all 3 kids. Not so bad. I did Shoprite at Home Delivery for groceries for a long time because I didn't want to deal with all the kids at the grocery store.

    I shop as much as I can online so that our outings are "fun" and "educational" vs. errands for me.

    My kids LOVE to go shopping/run errands. I lucked out on that one. That's not to say that they don't get fussy/irritable, etc. But it's not so bad that I have to leave. In the beginning, I always wore DS (he loved this) and the girls would sit in the cart. They can walk next to any cart (and do), but the moment they stray, we leave......

    Hang in there - it gets easier to get errands done as they get older!

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  • My DS started napping one nap a day at 6 months, which was great, we would just stay home for 2 hours in the afternoon. 

    I had good luck with getting DD a special stuffed animal and tying it to a ribbon on the stroller, cart, or DS's carrier.  She had to "care for the stuffed animal" which she liked.  She would hold the animal while we walked through the store.  Sometimes I would give her a pretend bottle or food to feed him while I stopped to look at something.  She is better now that she is 4.

  • I do almost all of my errands on the weekend or after DH gets home from work.  I get done in half the time and make fewer mistakes if I am alone.  

    Once your LO is down to one nap you will have so much more freedom. The first six months with two are a challenge but soon it will all fall into place. 

     

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  • DS used to HATE riding in the cart.  Recently, I have started to call it "the big boy seat" and now he looks forward to riding in the cart.  Random, I know.  I also carry a snack for him just in case.  I carry DD in the Ergo no matter where we are.  If it is nap time, she sleeps in there and if not she is still relatively happy and quiet.  I take them on almost all of my errands because I need to get out and get things done or I go insane!

    During the school year, DS is in a preschool program for a few hours a week and I do as many errands as I can during that time.

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  • i put my girls on the same nap schedule asap as well. now dd1 doesnt nap so i do all my stuff before dd2 naps. and the whole cart thing is hard and gets harder before its gets easy. i would put 1 in cart and carry 2 and now i force them both in and fight 2 the whole time im at store. i remind 1 to help me show 2 how to be a big girl so she stays seated. i know one day it will work out that 2 stays put, its just repitition. keep consistent. i to bring snacks for mall trips or where they will be in stroller for a while. it gets easier as they get older.  i see the women in stores with 3 and to me that seems to be the new impossible.

     reading back its funny calling my kids 1 and 2 ha ha ha!

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  • imageAndrewsgal:
    I got my kids on the same nap schedule ASAP! This was the best thing I have ever done. When DS was that age I wore him everywhere and that helped a lot. DD went through the stage of screaming in carts and strollers, honestly I never gave into her, she had to be in a cart/stroller strapped in. She eventually figured out that she was going to be in them no matter what so it stopped.

    Ditto this.  DD is now dropping her morning nap so it is actually making things easier.  We run errands between 10:30 - 1pm and naptime for both is around 1:30-2.  If we are in the grocery store or Target I wear DD and DS goes in the cart.  If we are in the mall or other stores I use the double stroller

    DS cannot be trusted yet to walk with me.  He knows that he must be in the stroller or the cart and that is the end of it.  I make sure I am stocked with snacks and water/milk

    image
    DS 3.12.08
    DD 7.11.09
    DD 8.01.13
  • In the beginning I had a hard time getting out of the house with 3 kids.  But it didn't help that the baby was constantly sick.  The first two weeks he was under the bili lights and at 2 weeks old he was back in the hospital.  But once he was healthy and we started to get a good routine I was able to start venturing out.  We usually head out in the morning.  If the baby misses him morning naps it's not that detrimental but if he (or my 3yo) misses his afternoon nap, it's all down hill from there.  The baby will not sleep anywhere but his crib.  Not in the car or the carrier.  I guess he just doesn't want to miss anything.  When I am out with all three kids I usually wear the baby so that I have my hands free for the other two boys.  I'd like to think I've become a pro at this stuff now.  We're always getting out doing things like going to the park, grocery store and play dates.  The one thing I will not do unless I have another adult with me is swimming.
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  • I got the best advice on my local board- "Don't think about it. Just put your head down and do it!". So from early on we've just gone on our day like we did before DD2 was born. We do most of our errands in the morning. We do lunch around 1 and nap at 2. DD2 sleep often in the carseat and I hope just like her big sister, she'll drop to one nap around 10 mo or so, and then it will make it that much easier! Both my girls are really good in the carts/stroller. DD2 is still in the infant car seat but prefers the regular stroller.
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